Try to Remember: Part I
by Turtel
Summary: A very twisted version of Ocarina of Time. I decided to switch some things around and add a few other things, you know, fun stuff like that. Come read, the more feedback I get the better the story will turn out and I'll put more stuff up quicker!
1. Chapter 1

**_Note:  I do not own or claim ownership of the game, characters, or any characters associated with The Legend of Zelda games., other than those I made up!_**

**And so there's my lovely disclaimer. But anyways, this, as the title says, is OoT in written form with a few of my very own twists, mainly because I either would like to add or subtract something to change the plot around. Is that not what fan fic is? I'm not going to use the exact dialogue of the game… because that would take quite a lot of time and I'd rather add my own spin on things. I've also cut down on many of the temple's and the on-goings inside of them, primarily because, again, it consumes quite a lot of time and I would rather have it the way I wished the game was: short and simple. :D Well, enough of me blabbing. Go ahead and read! I'd love a few reviews, and I'd also prefer at least a handful before I continue to post.**

**Turtel, the pitifully misspelled shell-bearing sea creature**

Try to Remember

Part 1

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

In Written Form—With a few Twists

Chapter One

_The rain hissed as it hit the warm earth._

_He stood there, facing a towering, closed drawbridge. Two torches on either side sputtered and slowly died from the relentless downpour the heavens were unleashing. _

_Darkness._

_He blinked, trying to see something. There was nothing. He began to wipe the droplets from his eyes when he stopped. He had heard something. He did not need to strain in order to hear it. The sound of the drawbridge creaking open was overwhelming, nearly drowning out the thunder. A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the odd scene. There was another noise approaching—the sound of galloping. Before the bridge was fully open, the cause of the second sound appeared; the body of a pure white horse--seemingly bearing a sole rider--flew from the entrance and closed the gap between the bridge and the ground. It landed, and without hesitation, continued on in full gallop._

_He had to dash out of the way of the steed in order not to be trampled. Turning back, he stared at the animal as it dashed off. Just as it was disappearing into the night, he realized that, in fact, there were two riders, one in front, who was smaller, and the other behind, bearing the reigns, who also was much taller. They both wore hooded cloaks. The smaller rider turned their head and looked straight into his eyes. The girl was young, maybe a few years older than he, but not by much. _

_Her eyes wanted to tell him something. What was it? He couldn't tell exactly, but she needed help. _Why me?_ he wondered, almost wishing she could hear his thoughts. _

_And, out of the darkness, the sound of hoofs returned, again coming from the drawbridge. Hesitantly, he turned. A quiet gasp slipped through his lips. A second horse stood before him, taller than the last. Its pelt seemed to melt into the midnight sky; it's main and tail were a fiery red. This horse was armored, unlike the first. He would have though the metals would slow the beast down, but after seeing it, he doubted that. The muscles of the horse looked thick as a tree, and strong as an ox. The rider was, if possible, more menacing. His hair matched the same intensity of his horse's main. He, too, was armed heavily, not only with muscle, but plated metal as well. The figure turned towards him; his eyes were piercing._

_The boy tried to look away, but the figure seemed to hold his gaze there, in a trance. The rider slowly raised his hand, and with that, the boy crumpled on the ground and fell into a darkness deeper than the night._


	2. Chapter 2

**Yahoo… Chapter 2! I've made some random edits just to improve it and all… plus I was really bored, so heh. Fun fun! And I realized that I changed Saria's eye color… whoops…**

Chapter 2

The boy's crystalline blue eyes fluttered open, but he quickly closed them again. A white light hovered close to his face, nearly blinding him. He covered his face in his hands and rolled over.

"Get _up, _you lazy brat!" a high pitched voice nagged from above him. Following that, something collided into the back of his skull. Not stopping with that, the annoyance grabbed onto a lock of his sandy blonde hair and tugged it repeatedly.

He flinched and groaned. "Go away, would you?" His voice was muffled as he spoke into the pillow.

"Get up!" the voice repeated. "C'mon, Link, this is _important!"_

Link froze. He flipped over and squinted up into the light. "Who—or what—are you and how do you know my name?"

The small orb of light stopped bouncing about in the air. Link was finally able to focus on it. He frowned, a realization hitting him.

"You're a fairy?"

"That took a genius," the fairy replied flatly. "My name is Navi, and I was sent by the Deku Tree, so I suggest you wake up."

Link pushed himself into a sitting position to get a better look at the fairy. Almost out of thoughtfulness, the fairy dimmed her blue-white gleam to a much subtler tone, although the orb of blue light still loomed about her. As the light faded, Link was able to pick out the body of the fairy. Her figure was slim and about three inches or so in height—which was quite tall for the likes of a fairy. Her hair was a deep blue, as were her eyes. Her skin was much lighter, more of a sky blue. The fairy's hair may have been black, but the hue of the glow she omitted caused it to look the deepest of midnight blues. A set of silvery wings sprouted from her shoulders, which were slowly moving repetitively, keeping her aloft in the air.

Navi slowly floated down and landed on a small tree stump serving as a beside table. She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. "Well?"

"What?" Link said drowsily, rubbing his eyes.

"The _Deku Tree _wants to see you!" Navi cocked her head the other way. "Does that possibly mean anything to you?"

Link was taken aback by the fairy's rather biting sarcastic tone. "Most of the fairy's I've met are a lot nicer than you, you know…"

"I bet."

"So what do you want?"

"I've told you twice now!"

"Well tell me again, I wasn't paying attention."

"That's obvious."

"Well?"

"What?"

Link rolled his eyes. "Why did you come here?" he shouted suddenly, annoyed. The fairy stumbled backwards a few paces, the force of his voice overpowering her petite figure.

"The Deku tree wants to see you! And I'm coming too. I'm your new fairy!" She smiled.

Link's breath caught in his throat. _A… fairy?_ The sound of that seemed unreal.

_I'm your new fairy._

Unlike all of the other children who dwelled in Kokiri Forest, he was not born with a fairy. The Kokiri were known as the 'Fairy Folk', for each of the children had his or her own fairy that dutifully followed them as a companion, helper, and friend. They stayed with them everyday of their ageless lives, never wavering.

But Link had never had one.

Far back as he could remember, Link had been teased and scorned—even physically abused--by nearly every Kokiri child. The other children simply watched as he went through the torments that the others continually dealt out on him. Helping hands were rare during these attacks, All of this because the simple fact that a quiet entity did not follow diligently behind him.

_Such a small thing makes quite a large impact._

The boy blinked, trying to clear his head. Glancing through the open window, he said absently, "What time is it?"

"Morning. That's all you need to know," Navi replied, leaping off of the small table and flying about the room. "Now come on and get ready! We've got a lot to do and so little time to do it in!" She made her way back towards the nightstand and plucked the green cap made of simple cloth from it. She heaved it into the air; it must have weighed at least five times her own weight, resulting in a rather odd struggle. Navi managed to keep the hat suspended in the air a few inches, surprisingly enough. Link snatched the hat from her and jammed it onto his head. Pulling himself out of the bed, he trudged across the room and glanced across the floor. His gaze ran over a leather boot, and he bent down to pick it up. Its match was no where in sight, causing a few minute detour around the circular room to find the other. When he finally had both boots on, he headed for the door and pulled back the tattered curtain, letting the morning light flow in.

The view from his tree-top home of Kokiri was magnificent. Fairy sprites danced on the morning rays of light, illuminating the forest with a magical glow. To the north-west lay the entrance to the Lost Woods. Few dared to enter the forest, for many never returned. No one knew what happened to them… or if they were still wandering the endless forest. In every other direction lay trees, hollowed out into cozy homes, looking quite a lot like Link's. To the east, a small creek ran through the forest, indicating that the entrance to the dwelling place of the fabled Deku Tree.

_The Deku Tree wants to see me?_ Link couldn't accept it. Why him? The boy without a fairy…

The Great Deku Tree was the guardian of the forest. Ever since time began, the Deku Tree has guarded over the forest. To be called by the Deku Tree is a great honor, and few Kokiri had ever been given that honor.

_So why me?_

Navi was already flying off, towards the ground. Link's home was, as all the Kokiri homes, hollowed out in the trunk of a tree. His, _unlike_ the others, was elevated higher over the ground. A small balcony stood outside the door, looking over the forest. A rope ladder hung off the end of the balcony, making an easy entrance and exit.

"Morning, sleepy-head!" a voice echoed from bellow. Link made his way to the edge of the overhang and peered over, looking for the source of the voice. He grinned.

A Kokiri girl was standing at the base of the tree, staring up and waving. She wore a long green tunic that looked to be more of a short dress. She had a darker long-sleeve shirt underneath the tunic, which covered her arms up to the wrists. She wore a leather belt around her small waist, and a pair of tall black boots. Her hair, as the rest of her clothing, were emerald green. Her hair was cut into a short bob that bounced happily as she skipped closer to the overhang. The hue of her eyes was such a deep blue that one could easily mistake them for being black.

Link quickly made his way down to greet her, ignoring the ladder and jumping off instead.

"Hi Saria," he said when he hit the ground.

Saria giggled. "You're going to hurt yourself doing that one day."

Always the protective one, Saria was. Saria had been Link's friend for a long time… for as long as he could remember at least. While Link was scorned for being fairy-less, Saria stuck by his side, assuring him that it was all for a reason. She was the only one who had ever stood up for him, the only one who offered him a helping hand.

Their personalities differed dramatically; Saria was usually the wiser one and thought through everything. Link preferred to act on instinct, which normally landed him in rather unenjoyable situations. The two seemed to get along well enough, though.

At first glance, any of the Kokiri would appear to be similar due to their simple clothing. He, as well, wore a green tunic—as was the custom of the Kokiri—but he bore a pair of shorts instead of the customary skirt the girls donned. Every boy in the Kokiri Forest also wore the small pointed green cap. No one knew why, really, and no one bothered to question it. Everything else was the same: the belt, the boots, the color… so on and so forth.

Navi floated downwards and perched on Link's shoulder. She lay down on her stomach, resting her chin in her hands and surveyed Saria. "You gonna introduce me?" she said to Link, while still gazing at the Kokiri girl.

Saria's eyes widened a bit and her mouth opened slightly, but she quickly closed it and fixed a smile on her face. "Yeah… who's your friend?" She smiled slyly.

Link motioned to the fairy on his shoulder. "This is Navi, my fairy." He paused a moment, letting it sink in (not only for Saria, but still for himself as well). "Navi, this is my best friend Saria."

Saria—instead of greeting Navi as was the usual order of things that happened after an introduction—flung her arms around Link and squeezed him to the point where Link could barely catch a breath. The sudden movement caused Link to be knocked backwards, and Navi falling off of his shoulder. She huffily scowled at the two.

Link returned the embrace, hoping the gesture would get her off of him. Saria finally released and Link took in a breath, which he tried not to make too obvious.

"I _told_ you, didn't I?" Saria insisted, an enormous smile played across her face. "I told you that you would get your fairy!"

"Lovely to meet you too, dear," Navi mumbled grudgingly. She didn't like to be ignored. She buzzed off a few feet and looked in the direction of the Great Deku Tree. Turning, she said louder, "Come on Link, we've gotta get going! Now!"

Saria turned her head to look at the insistent fairy for a moment, and then turned back to Link. "Off so soon?"

Link nodded. "Yeah… apparently the Deku Tree wants to see me." He bit his bottom lip and looked at the ground. _Either I've done something really amazing that he wants to congratulate me on, or I'm in deep trouble. _Link doubted it was the first option, and feared the worst He looked at the ground.

Saria's gaze intensified. "That's big, Link," she said, a touch of concern in her voice. "You okay?"

"I think so… I mean…" He hesitated, wondering what to say. "You've been there and you're alright, so…"

Saria nodded. It was true; Saria was the only Kokiri to have been to the dwelling place of the Deku Tree for hundreds of years. That's what Link had heard, anyways. She hadn't been summoned for a long time, and Link never remembered any talk of it. Only whispers. She had, however, gone on her accord, either to discuss problems, or for a reason that only she knew.

Kokiri are blessed by the Deku Tree to be ageless. They're appearance remain the same for their entire life, which could last for millennia. Each Kokiri appeared to be around the age of ten or eleven, although their real ages are unknown, mainly because none keep track.

Most of the Kokiri had memories of their entire life, from when they were created by the Deku Tree up until the very minute.

Link, as always, was different.

He remembered nothing of his earlier days. His only recollection was, in Kokiri standards, extraordinarily small. He never knew why. Maybe he never would.

_And all these years… Saria has been the only one summoned. Now_ me

"Link, you better go." Saria's voice snapped him out of his trance-like state. He looked up at her as she offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, it'll all be fine. Do you want me to walk you over there?"

Link nodded quickly, glad to have the company. The two began a silent walk over to the creek, forgetting entirely about Navi.

The fairy pouted and stuck out her tongue at the two, then slowly followed a ways behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

**OK, time for shout-outs! Yip yap! And then you can get on to chapter three! Yay for you.**

**Final Fiction X** Why thank you dear. Yes, Chapter one was a dream. Heh, you've always been the bright one of the bunch…

**Smalltowngurl **No problem Becca… just figured I had another chance to bug you! And I find it funny that none of my friends know about Zelda… hmm… TIME TO SABATOGE SADIE!

**C'mon, more reviews, peeps! I need to keep myself motivated! -Jumps around on one foot-**

Chapter 3

"No, you can't go through. Whutdoya think I am, an idiot?" Mido leaned back and let out an over exaggerated guffaw causing his red-brown bushy hair to fall out of his eyes for a moment.

"Yes, you are," Saria retorted hotly, glaring at the Kokiri boy.

Link stayed silent and looked at the ground as the discussion continued. 'The Great' Mido, as he called himself, wasn't, in Link's opinion, all that great. He'd bullied his way to the top of the Kokiri standings, self-elected himself as the guardian of the Deku Tree's entry way, and made sure that no body disobeyed him. It was Mido that led many of the taunts and sneers against Link when he didn't, in fact, have a fairy. It was Mido that usually found the time to beat him down.

Mido shrunk a little at Saria's comment. It wasn't a secret at all that this supposedly Great Mido's weakness was Saria—most unfortunately for the poor Kokiri girl. He quickly regained his composure, however, and shot back.

"The Great Mido would never let _that_ scum through to see the Deku Tree!" Mido jerked his head in Link's direction with a look of disgust on his face that showed exactly what he thought of the previously fairy-less Kokiri. "Besides, you actually think I'd believe that _the _Great Deku Tree sent for a pitiful 'Kokiri' who doesn't have fairy?"

It was at that moment that the straggling—pouting—Navi came up behind Link and stood on his shoulder. She had overheard Mido's comment. Crossing her arms, she looked him square in the eye and fixed a smirk on her face. Mido stared back, dumbfounded.

"You… stand… corrected?" Navi offered, as if trying to put words into his opened mouth. Link grinned, suddenly appreciating the little sprites attitude. Saria tried to surpress a giggle.

"That's… b-but…" Mido stuttered. His fairy—whose light was green—spun angrily around his head, frowning. She glared at Navi, who returned the guesture. Saria's fairy, also green, cheerily flapped over to Link's shoulder, standing next to Navi, indicating her point in the argument.

An odd spectacle… three Kokiri and their fairies, all quarlling.

"I think you're outnumbered, Mido," Saria said softly.

Mido scrunched his face up into an awkward sneer. "Well… even if you have been summoned, you can't just walk up to the Great Deku Tree! You need to arm yourself properly, like a real man! With… uh… a sword and shield!" Mido puffed out his chest, deciding that he'd won the fight.

"You don't have either," Link pointed out flatly, raising an eyebrow.

Mido's chest deflated with a wheeze. "I… argh. Look, I'll make you a deal. If you come back here with a shield _and _sword, I'll let you through." He snickered.

Saria scoffed, rolling her eyes. She grabbed Link by the forearm and pulled him away from Mido, back over the creek.

Link nervously chewed on the inside of his cheek as they walked past the cluster of tree-homes in the forest.

"Saria, we—"

She cut him off by quickly shushing him and dragging him off towards one of the hollowed trees. She continued pulling him until they passed through the open entry way and into the dimly lit interior. Blinking, Link waited for his eyes too adjust. They had entered the small Kokiri shop, filled with all of the necessities that a Kokiri needed. Saria finally released her grip on her companion and strode over to the counter.

A Kokiri boy at the counter looked up as she stormed towards her. "Saria…?" he said blankly, wondering why this normally calm and collected Kokiri was so frustrated.

"Get me one of the Deku shields. Now." She took a small pouch from her belt and slammed it on the table. The pouches drawstring loosened, sending piles of colorful Rupees—the gem-like currency—flying across the counter.

The store attendant nodded quickly and rushed behind a curtain.

"Saria, you don't have to pay for me," Link mumbled, walking up behind her. In the forest, it was rare to see anything remotely of danger in those parts, with the exception of the Lost Woods. This being the case, no known weapons consisted in the forest; the only product made for battle were wooden shields made from Deku wood, painted with the emblem of the forest. These were hardly ever used as a defensive weapon, however; Link had seen one Kokiri girl using one to repel the rain as she ran to a friend's house.

The attendant returned while blowing a layer of dust from the curved piece of wood. Without saying another word, Saria lunged for the shield, grabbed it, and whirled around, storming out of the store, leaving Link and Navy watching confused. Link turned back and awkwardly smiled at the attendant, apologizing for Saria.

"Stupid ingrate… why, if I could…" Link caught tidbits of Saria's words which slipped rapidly through her clenched teeth. Abruptly stopping, she turned around and faced Link, shoving the shield at his stomach. "He makes me so _mad!"_

Link grunted as the solid wood slammed into his torso. He stumbled back a pace, and grimaced. "Thanks," he groaned; the wind had been rather forcefully knocked out of him when Saria 'handed' him the shield. He slung the shield around his back, adjusting until it felt comfortable.

Saria huffed, letting out her breath, causing a loose bunch of hairs float upwards and fall back into her eyes. "Sorry," she muttered, touching the stray hairs behind her ears. "I just can't stand him… thinks he knows everything… hah! I know _everything _about this forest! Trying to stop you because you're not 'armed properly.'" She folded her arms across her chest.

Link frowned uneasily. "Well, Saria, then… you know there aren't any swords in the forest, right?" The Kokiri didn't need swords; their small forest was peaceful and safe. A sword would just sit in the corner and collect dust.

The Kokiri girl stood for a moment, not reacting to Link's comment. After a hesitation, she shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "Three steps to the north of the old oak tree…"

"Wha--?" Link stood confused as Saria began walking off, muttering something that sounded like a spell. He cast a desperate look up at Navi, who simply shrugged. Dashing after her, he caught his friend by the shoulder. "What are you doing?"

She looked at him as if she had never seen him before in her life. The odd gaze lasted a moment, and then she smiled. "The Deku Tree told me once. He said it might come in handy. Guess it did.

_Three steps to the north of the old oak tree_

_Head towards the east, but careful you must be_

_Five steps south, again three north, and follow the west winds as they blow_

_To find the ancient sword of the forest. Away, then, you go."_

She finished the poem and grinned. "The ancient sword of the forest! A sword, Link!"

Link frowned, not convinced. "Yeah, but—"

"The Great Deku Tree told me! Trust me!" She repeated the first line to herself, and took three steps away from the large oak they had stopped at. Navi came up behind her.

"You sure you got it right? We can't afford too many mistakes. Time ticks!"

The girl stopped a moment and turned back, smiling confidently. "Yes, I'm sure. North, then east, then south, and north again, then go west 'till we find it!"

"Find what exactly?" Link wondered aloud. He knew Kokiri Forest quite well, and he also knew that no 'ancient sword' was lying around a few steps away from a tree. He was ignored, and Saria, along with Navi, began walking an odd zigzag line.

"Five south," Saria murmured, now nearing the end of the poem. She took the steps, and then the three north. "Last one," she said softly, and began stepping to the west.

"East, Saria," Link said, aggravatingly pinching the bridge of his nose.

The girl whipped her head around at him. "No, the _west _winds."

"Yes, _follow_ the west winds. The west winds only come from the west. They blow east."

The girl's brow furrowed, not pleased about being proved wrong. She briskly turned east and began walking very quickly in that direction, her head down.

Navi had stopped following Saria's path, looking ahead. She turned back to Link.

He looked up as well, noticing the destination that Saria was headed for. He cleared his throat. "Uh, hey, I would—"

Too late. Saria collided with a stone wall. She yelped, and fell backwards onto her back. She put her hand up to her head and grimaced. "The one wall in Kokiri… and that's the one I run into…"

It was the only wall in Kokiri. The stone barrier had been built on the edge of the Lost Woods to keep out any monsters that may find their way to Kokiri's entrance.

And that's where their scavenger hunt ended.

Navi looked around. "Gimme a sword…" she said, pursing her lips and squinting at the wall.

"It won't take a password," Link stated, making his way over to the wall. He ran his hand across the mosaic of stone, looking for something, anything, that might be… well, something.

"I don't get it," Saria said angrily. She sat up and leaned her back against the wall. Pressing her fingertips to her temples, she began repeating the poem again, retracing her steps in her mind. "_Something_ is supposed to be right here!" She pounded on the ground with her fist.

And then she was gone.

The ground had seemingly evaporated beneath her punch, taking Saria along with it.

Both Navi and Link stood dumbfounded for a moment as they herd her shriek echo through the earth.

"_Saria!"_ Link rushed over to where she had fallen and dropped to his knees next to a oval shaped hole. He couldn't see into it because there was no light present.

Saria's fairy—who had been in the air when the hole formed, saving her from the fall—dashed towards the entrance, sputtering something about poems and faulty trees. She screeched out the girls name before diving through the hole herself, momentarily lighting portions of the vertical tunnel.

"I'm okay," a small voice said softly, rising up to the surface. Saria's fairy finally reached the bottom, and the girl's shadowy figure appeared.

Link smiled, relieved. "And, right there, you go," he said, mocking the poem.

Saria smiled sheepishly, and then waved him down. "C'mon, it's a soft landing. She stood, and then disappeared, apparently going through another corridor under the earth. Link gazed hesitantly down the hole before jumping in, feet first. His legs quavered and buckled as he landed with reasonable force. The light emitting from Saria's fairy bounced ahead of him. They both turned back, looking at him. Saria gestured for him to get up and follow.

Navi's blue light enveloped him as she came towards Link. They both then followed after Saria until she finally stopped. The two fairy's lights blended together as Link joined her where she had halted. Saia's hand went out and touched the dirt wall in front of them. "Dead end," she said, disappointment flooding her voice and echoing throughout the tunnel. "There wasn't another way, though, was there?"

Link shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. "Maybe it caved in… this swords is supposedly ancient, right? Or maybe someone else found it first."

"No," Saria insisted, shaking her head. "It's here, I know it!" She rammed her fist into the wall, as if the wall would give way like it had last time.

"It's alright," Link said in an attempt to comfort her. Oddly enough, she was the one becoming distressed, instead of Link, who was the one in need of the weapon. He put his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Really, it's fine. I mean, I can just wait 'till after Mido goes to bed to go to the Deku Tree."

Saria shook her head from side to side. "No… it's not that. It's just that… never mind." She sighed, exasperatedly rubbing her eyes.

Navi huffed, crossing her arms impatiently. She spiraled in a downward circle around Link, ending inches from the ground. Her new position illuminated the floor of the cavern, along with where the wall connected with the ground. Link's eyes dropped down suddenly, seeing something in the light. Saria's eyes followed, and a quiet gasp escaped her.

"It's another tunnel," Navi stated, landing on the ground and walking towards the small opening. It was perhaps a foot and a half high, and only a bit wider. Navi shot a mischievous grin up at the two Kokiri before dashing into the opening. Her light faded and the opening dissolved into the darkness.

Link dropped on the ground and looked down the small tunnel. Navi's blue light glowed at the end, moving about from time to time. The glow suddenly began to grow with a surprising pace. Link realized, in the nick of time, that Navi was headed straight for his head, and he rolled away from the opening, allowing the fairy to burst through and fly into the air.

"Watch it," Link groaned while pulling himself back to his feet.

The smile that had been on Navi's face fell for a moment as she turned to him. "Sorry, didn't see you," she said in a rush. Her smile quickly regenerated, however, and delivered the rest of the news. "It's down there, Link! Go, go! The swords in there!"

"Huh? Through _there?"_ His gaze trailed down to the hazy opening. "I'm supposed to go through that?"

"Yes," Saria jumped in, shoving her friend towards the tunnel.

"Alright, alright, just a second." He removed the shield from his back and handed it over to Saria so that he would have more room to maneuver. Rubbing the back of his neck, Link hesitated. Was it really worth all this? He shrugged it off and dropped to his knees. "You coming Navi? I'm gonna need some light." The fairy nodded and dove out of the air, entering the small tunnel ahead of Link, illuminating the path. "Great. Here goes everything." Flattening himself to the ground, Link pulled himself into the small path, pushing with his feet.

_Smaller than it looks. And longer,_ he thought in dismay as the walls enveloped him. Navi had already exited, standing at the end of the passage, waving for him to follow. He continued pushing and pulling himself, all the while simply wondering what could lie on the other side.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hmm… on to chappie four! I'm really taking this slow… meh… -needs speed- I suppose I'll quicken things up, but watch out for a LLLLLLOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG chapter!**

**Shouteth-outeth time!**

**Smalltowngurl **…The top part kinda looks like a Pac Man that got tipped over. (\/) THIS IS OUR NEW THING, BECCA! NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE IT! OUR TIPPY PACMAN DUDE! MUAHAHAHAHA!

**Final Fiction X **Running into walls? Not me! -shiftey eyes-

Chapter 4

Link undershot the ending of the tunnel and lifted his head rapidly, ramming his head on the blunt dirt ceiling. He groaned and tried putting his hand to the back of his skull, but space was too limited; the tunnel's size had shrunk considerable as it progressed. Agitatedly, he began smacking his forehead against the cavern floor with a methodic _thud, thud_. He had already acquired plenty of bumps and bruises across his body, all thanks to small (and large) fragments of rock jutting out from random directions in the path. He thought that one rather painful scrape was bleeding, but he couldn't be sure.

"Once you're done giving yourself a concussion, you can come the rest of the way, alright?" Navi's voice brought him out of the repetitive beating. His head snapped up to look at the fairy, causing the back of his skull to collide with the ceiling again.

He gritted his teeth in annoyance. "I'm coming." Navi smiled innocently.

Link pulled himself the rest of the way out, until finally he was able to squeeze out of the opening. Dragging himself to his feet, Link winced as a stinging pain ran through his leg. Glancing down, he realized that his leg was bleeding—profusely—from a deep gash. He cursed under his breath and wiped the dirt from his face with the back of his had, which was equally dirty.

Navi spun excitedly about his head. "Took you long enough," she said, abruptly changing directions and darting off into another passageway.

"Link? You alright?" The muffled cry came from the tunnel Link had recently exited.

"Yeah… fine…" he grumbled back to Saria. _Nothing wrong in the slightest…_

Almost grudgingly, he began following Navi, realizing that this new path—although much larger than the previous—held no head room. Tilting his neck awkwardly, Link crouched and continued. He trailed his hand along the wall for guidance. The small orb of light that was Navi bounced ahead of him. He gritted his teeth against the stinging in his leg as he limped. _Thanks for noticing, Navi, dear,_ he thought irritably.

After what seemed an eternity, Navi finally stopped and Link was able to catch up with her.

"What, another dead end?" Link rolled his eyes at the wall in front of them.

"Yes, but we don't need to go any farther." Navi offered him a grin and fluttered down to his ankles, illuminating the dirt floor. Link's eyes dropped to the ground. He blinked.

"Well, I guess that wasn't a faulty poem, eh?" He knelt down on the ground, biting back the discomfort in his sore limbs.

Link picked up the sheathed sword from the ground and turned it over in his hands. Simple enough, it seemed. 'The sheath was plain brown leather with a strap fastened to either end. Nothing fancy at all. Grasping the bronze hilt, Link drew the sword. An icy _hiss_ emitted from the metal as it scraped past the sheath. It was finely crafted of a very light—almost white—metal. He held it out in front of him, examining it thoroughly. The sword glinted in Navi's light.

"Shiny," the fairy said approvingly. She looked from the blade over towards Link. Her eyes trailed down to his bloodied leg. She gasped. "Link, you're bleeding?"

Link put a mock horror look on his face and glared at Navi. "Really? Am I?" He rolled his eyes and re-sheathed the sword. Standing up as far as he could in the cramped passageway, he turned around and began his way back towards the even smaller tunnel. In time he made it, and lowered himself to the ground. He peered down the long tunnel, seeing Saria's face at the end, her cheek pressed against the dirt, intently watching for him. She smiled when his face appeared in the opening.

"Did you get it?" Her voice echoed into Link's ears.

"Move your face," he grunted flatly. Saria frowned, but complied, and she disappeared from the exit. Link took the sheathed sword and put it out in front of him, the tip just protruding into the tunnel. He grabbed onto the hilt with both hands and pulled his arms back far enough so the tip of the handle was a hairs width from the boy's nose. In one quick motion, he extended his arms and released the hilt, sending the sword skirting through the tunnel, coming out on the other end.

He heard a yelp from Saria as the weapon came shooting out towards her. _There's hardly enough room for me in there, and dragging a sword around with me would be more than a hassle, _he thought, entering the cavern himself and beginning the voyage out.

----

After the second infinity in the tunnel, Link found himself being dragged out by his arms. Link grimaced as his cut leg nicked yet another sharp rock.

Saria pulled him up to his feet. She looked him over quickly and frowned, taking note of his many scratches and bruises. "Oh wow," she said softly when noticing the large wound running down his left leg. "You okay?"

"Hardly," Link replied with a sigh. His eyes trailed over to the corner where Saria had placed both the sword and shield. He picked them up, holding one in each hand. His brow furrowed. "What are these for again?"

Saria giggled. "C'mon, Link, we should get you cleaned up before you go see the Deku Tree."

He nodded absently, trying to clear his head. _Interesting morning, this one._ He drew the sword and held it in his right hand, and then took the shield and clasped it in his left.

"Well?" he said, glancing at Saria. "How do I look?"

"Like a true warrior," Saria said with a flourish.

Link nodded in appreciation, and then bit his lip. "I'm not actually… gonna need any of this, right?" he questioned hesitantly. "It's just because of Mido, right?"

Saria cocked her head and put her hands behind her back, looking at Link peculiarly. "You never know. The Deku Tree's clearing is right in the middle of the Lost Woods. Anything could come out of there, really." She paused for a moment, and then continued, seeing Link's worried look. "You'll be fine, don't worry about it." She smiled comfortingly.

Link returned the grin, grateful he had a friend like her.

----

Link gritted his teeth and dug his foot into the dirt. Scaling a vertical wall of crumbling dirt was not his idea of a good time. The annoyance of the cut on his leg seemed to be nothing now; his muscles were burning from the effort, and the unusual extra weight on his back from the shield and sword was turning out to be quite cumbersome. He began wondering which was worse: crawling through the tunnels or climbing out of the hole they had discovered. The shaft also seemed much taller coming up, and it wasn't easy either. Link had already come dangerously close to falling from a considerable height because the soil he had been grasping crumbled in his palm.

The slow process continued until the ground finally leveled out and Link was able to pull himself out and onto the Kokiri Forest's floor. He rolled over on his back and took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his eyes. After a moment's hesitation, he flipped over onto his hands and knees and glanced over the lip of the opening. Saria was a few feet away, clinging onto the not-so-solid wall. She looked up at him.

"I can't find a foothold… a little help?"

Link nodded and reached down, grabbing her by the hand. A bit of tugging and pulling and Saria joined him on the firm ground.

Their two fairies were perched in a tree above them. They had been watching the spectacle with interest. "Thank the goddesses for wings," Navi said with a grin. Saria's fairy nodded.

"Thanks for that," Saria said to Link, brushing off her sleeves. "Now, shall we go?"

Link nodded and took a few steps back towards the creek. He was surprised when Saria began walking off in the _opposite _direction. He frowned, hesitated, and then spun around and followed her.

"That happens to be the wrong way," he said coming up behind her.

The girl looked at him quizzically. "No it's not."

He returned the look, wondering what was going on. "Yes… the Deku Tree is that-a-way." He made an over exaggerated pointing motion in the general direction of the clearing.

"We aren't _going _to the Deku Tree," Saria insisted and kept walking.

"We aren't? News to me…"

"Hang on a second!" Navi's shrill voice cut into the conversation as the two fairies came buzzing up along side the Kokiri. She flew directly in front of Saria's face, putting her hands on her hips and staring square at her. "The Deku Tree summoned Link, and he said it was urgent. I don't think he has the time to wait for _anything."_

Saria continued walking, unfazed by the glowing orb floating inches in front of her eyes. "He can wait a bit longer. Do you think that those weapons are going to do Link any good if he doesn't know how to use them?"

"He won't need to use them! The Deku Tree is a _tree_. All due respect to him… but I doubt that he'll jump up suddenly and engage in all-out war with Link!"

"I do too, but that's not what I'm worried about." She swatted at Navi with her hand as if she were a simple bug.

An offended squeak was the only sound Navi was able to make. Saria's fairy had to grab her by the arm to restrain her from—quite literally—assaulting Saria.

Link didn't bother to ask any more questions. Saria had been in a very odd mood lately, and he didn't want to bother her. She had a point, though. If something were to happen, the sword probably wouldn't be of any help if he didn't know anything about it.

The two Kokiri and two wrestling fairies kept walking in almost complete silence (other than protests from the enraged Navi) until they reached a section of the forest in which the grass was much taller and the trees began to thicken. The continued and the trees began to get closer and closer together. _Why are we going into the forest?_ Link thought, but dutifully following Saria.

They didn't go far into the woods. Soon enough they came into a sizable clearing. Saria nodded in approval, and then began searching through the tall grass for something. Link watched her, wondering what exactly she was looking for. _Does _she_ even know what she's doing? _He crossed his arms and leaned up against a tree, waiting. He didn't need to wait too long; soon enough, Saria had collected the objects she'd been looking for: two long pieces of wood that were reasonably straight. She smiled in satisfaction and then tossed one towards Link.

He caught it, and surveyed the stick. "And this is for… ?"

"Practice," Saria stated. "If you practiced with the real sword, you would probably end up hurting something."

Link smirked. "Isn't that the point?"

"C'mon," she said, grasping the 'sword' by one end. "Do you wanna learn this or not?"

Link was somewhat surprised that Saria knew how to fight, although there were plenty of things he didn't know about her. Shrugging, he took his own piece of wood and held onto it firmly. "Alright, then," he murmured.

Saria nodded and then commenced the duel. She leapt out with surprising speed while swinging the stick of wood around at his ankles. Link yelped and jumped backward, but he felt the hard wood nick his shin. He winced and stepped back a pace, shooting a glare at Saria. "That was nice," he said sarcastically.

Saria shrugged. "Anything weird that jumps out at you isn't gonna be much nicer."

The sparring continued for a little over an hour. In time, Link began to learn how to stop Saria's attacks and strike back. They both stopped abruptly—finally—and dropped their fake swords onto the ground. Link rubbed his forearm, which was throbbing painfully and had already began to bruise. Saria was doing the same with her side.

"Well," she said with a grin. "I guess you're ready." Navi quickly shot down from her perch above them and landed in Link's hair.

"Good," she shouted, tugging on a few locks. "Let's _go _then, we've taken too long anyways!"

"Knock it… ow!" Link cried, swatting at the fairy. "I'm coming, okay? Chill out…"

Navi grinned triumphantly and spun off.

----

"_The Kokiri Sword? Are you kidding me!"_ Mido was screaming so loud that most of the residents of the forest had gathered to see what reason the bully was tormenting Link for today.

Link shook his head from side to side. "Nope, I definitely am not." He held up the sword and twirled it in his fingers, over exaggerating his attempt to make sure Mido saw it.

"He's got everything he 'needs'," Saria said from behind them. "What's stopping you from letting him in?" She gave him a glare that simply dared him to challenge her.

Mido crossed his arms, muttering wildly. He looked square at Link. "You can hold a sword… you can have a fairy," he spat out, glaring with an unmatchable fury. "You can even get summoned by the damned Deku Tree. But you will never, _never _be a Kokiri." He shoved Link out of his way, storming off and trudging towards his house.

The words stung. Link wouldn't pretend they didn't. He shot a quick glance at Saria, who nodded comfortingly and shooed him off in the direction of the forest. He turned back to the opening and took a few slow steps, hesitated, and then kept going.

"Finally," Navi mumbled, following closely next to him.

**--Well, wanted to put more up this chappie… but I really needed to update, so there ya go!**

_**Turtel**_


End file.
